Establishment of the White House Office of Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, 10007-10009 [2021-03424]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 31 (Thursday, February 18, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 10007-10009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03424]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 31 / Thursday, February 18, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 10007]]

                Executive Order 14015 of February 14, 2021

                
Establishment of the White House Office of Faith-
                Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to better serve people in need 
                through partnerships with civil society, while 
                preserving our fundamental constitutional commitments, 
                it is hereby ordered:

                Section 1. Policy. Faith-based and other community-
                serving organizations are vital to our Nation's ability 
                to address the needs of, and lift up, low-income and 
                other underserved persons and communities, notably 
                including persons of color. The American people are key 
                drivers of fundamental change in our country, and few 
                institutions are closer to the people than our faith-
                based and other community organizations. It is 
                important that the Federal Government strengthen the 
                ability of such organizations and other nonprofit 
                providers in our communities to deliver services 
                effectively in partnership with Federal, State, and 
                local governments and with other private organizations, 
                while preserving our fundamental constitutional 
                commitments guaranteeing the equal protection of the 
                laws and the free exercise of religion and forbidding 
                the establishment of religion. The Federal Government 
                can preserve these fundamental commitments while 
                empowering faith-based and secular organizations to 
                assist in the delivery of vital services in our 
                neighborhoods. These partnerships are also vital for 
                the success and effectiveness of the United States' 
                diplomatic, international development, and humanitarian 
                work around the world.

                Sec. 2. Establishment. There is established a White 
                House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood 
                Partnerships (White House Partnerships Office) within 
                the Executive Office of the President, supported by the 
                Domestic Policy Council and the Office of Public 
                Engagement, that will have lead responsibility in the 
                executive branch for establishing policies, priorities, 
                and objectives for the Federal Government's 
                comprehensive effort to enlist, equip, enable, empower, 
                and expand the work of community-serving organizations, 
                both faith-based and secular, to the extent permitted 
                by law.

                Sec. 3. Functions. The principal functions of the White 
                House Partnerships Office are, to the extent permitted 
                by law:

                    (a) to assist in organizing more effective efforts 
                to serve people in need across the country and around 
                the world, in partnership with civil society, including 
                faith-based and secular organizations;
                    (b) to develop, lead, and coordinate the 
                Administration's policy agenda affecting faith-based 
                and other community programs and initiatives and to 
                optimize the role of such efforts in communities;
                    (c) to ensure that policy decisions and programs 
                throughout the Federal Government are consistent with 
                the policy set forth in section 1 of this order with 
                respect to faith-based and other community initiatives;
                    (d) to bring concerns, ideas, and policy options to 
                Administration leadership for assisting, strengthening, 
                and replicating partnerships, whether financial or 
                nonfinancial, with faith-based and other community 
                organizations; and
                    (e) to promote awareness among diverse civil 
                society leaders of opportunities to partner--both 
                financially and otherwise--with the Federal Government 
                to serve people in need and to build institutional 
                capacity.

[[Page 10008]]

                Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The White House 
                Partnerships Office may make use of established or ad 
                hoc committees, task forces, or interagency groups.

                    (b) The White House Partnerships Office shall be 
                led by an Executive Director and a Deputy Director. The 
                operations of the White House Partnerships Office shall 
                begin within 30 days of the date of this order.
                    (c) The White House Partnerships Office shall 
                coordinate with the liaison and point of contact 
                designated by each executive department and agency 
                (agency) with respect to this initiative.
                    (d) All agencies shall cooperate with the White 
                House Partnerships Office and provide such information, 
                support, and assistance to the White House Partnerships 
                Office as it may request, to the extent permitted by 
                law.
                    (e) In order to ensure that Federal programs and 
                practices involving grants or contracts to faith-based 
                organizations are consistent with applicable law, the 
                Executive Director of the White House Partnerships 
                Office, acting through the Counsel to the President, 
                may seek the opinion of the Attorney General on any 
                constitutional and statutory questions involving 
                existing or prospective programs and practices.

                Sec. 5. Amendments to Executive Orders. (a) Executive 
                Order 13198 of January 29, 2001 (Agency 
                Responsibilities With Respect to Faith-Based and 
                Community Initiatives); Executive Order 13279 of 
                December 12, 2002 (Equal Protection of the Laws for 
                Faith-Based and Community Organizations), as amended by 
                Executive Order 13559 of November 17, 2010 (Fundamental 
                Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships 
                With Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations); 
                Executive Order 13280 of December 12, 2002 
                (Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and 
                the Agency for International Development With Respect 
                to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives); Executive 
                Order 13342 of June 1, 2004 (Responsibilities of the 
                Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the 
                Small Business Administration With Respect to Faith-
                Based and Community Initiatives); and Executive Order 
                13397 of March 7, 2006 (Responsibilities of the 
                Department of Homeland Security With Respect to Faith-
                Based and Community Initiatives), are amended by:

(i) substituting ``White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood 
Partnerships'' for ``White House Office of Faith-Based and Community 
Initiatives'' and ``White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative'' each 
time they appear in those orders;

(ii) substituting ``White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood 
Partnerships'' for ``White House OFBCI'' each time it appears in those 
orders;

(iii) substituting ``Centers for Faith-Based and Neighborhood 
Partnerships'' for ``Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives'' 
and ``Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives'' each time they appear 
in those orders; and

(iv) substituting ``Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships'' 
for ``Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives'' and ``Center for 
Faith and Opportunity Initiatives'' each time they appear in those orders.

                    (b) Executive Order 13397, as amended, is further 
                amended by substituting, in section 1(b), ``the 
                Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-
                Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (Executive 
                Director)'' for ``the Director of the White House 
                Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives 
                (WHOFBCI Director)'' and by substituting ``Executive 
                Director'' for ``WHOFBCI Director'' each time it 
                appears in the order.

                Sec. 6. Revocation. Executive Order 13831 of May 3, 
                2018 (Establishment of a White House Faith and 
                Opportunity Initiative), is revoked.

                Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

[[Page 10009]]

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    February 14, 2021.

[FR Doc. 2021-03424
Filed 2-17-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P